CA introduces injury substitutes trial in Sheffield Shield 2025 — key details
Cricket Australia (CA) will trial the use of injury substitutes in this season’s Sheffield Shield, with International Cricket Council (ICC) approval, to test the feasibility of introducing the rule at Test level. Here’s what you need to know:
Q: What is being trialled?
A: Teams will be allowed to replace an injured player during a match, up until stumps on day two, subject to the match referee’s approval.
Q: When does the trial take place?
A: Over the first five rounds of the Sheffield Shield, beginning this weekend.
Q: What makes this different from previous rules?
A: The replacement does not need to be like-for-like. Any injured player can be substituted for any reason, with no restriction on the type of ailment. The injury can occur any time after the toss, before or after play begins.
Q: What about fairness to the opposition?
A: To balance the move, the opposing team will be allowed a tactical substitution of its own within the same timeframe.
Q: How does this compare to India’s model?
A: India’s version, trialled earlier this year, only permits substitutes for injuries sustained during the match, and only for external injuries (such as cuts or fractures), not internal ones like muscle strains.
Q: What happens after round five?
A: CA management will review the trial’s outcomes. Insights will guide future use in domestic cricket and be shared with the ICC for possible adoption in Test matches.
Q: What does Cricket Australia say?
A: “We hope to learn much about the trial across the first five rounds that we can use in both our competition going forward, and also pass up to the ICC for consideration for introduction at Test level,” said Peter Roach, CA’s head of operations.
Published on Oct 01, 2025
